I’m fishing some of the deeper lakes in central Texas. I was wondering if it’s worth it to fish during the heat of the day, let’s say 1000-1500? If you find 20ft brush will fish be there?

Yes it is worth it for me. The hottest part of the day is the best bite for me!

I dont know where you are in centex but I have been catching them much shallower than that. Most of my fish are coming out of 12' of water +-4 ft. 8ft was my best depth last weekend. Water temp 86 degrees.

16 to 20 feet of water by boat slips and docks.

caught these today at 1pm on Fork with temp over 100 on the boat..we had 55 in 3 hours. all released.

I like summer time fishing. Downsize your baits, use a 1/16 jig with a size 6 hook instead of a #4. They bite it on the fall most of the time. I have my best luck in 8-14’, if it’s a cloudy day, don’t even bother. I don’t even mess with going out before 10 am. Baking hot, no clouds with a howling south wind, that’s my ideal summer conditions. That being said, use your judgement, not everyone can safely get out in those days.

To me hot summertime fishing is the best for crappie. I don't like to bother them in the spring as I'm in for letting them do their spawn thing. Summertime crappie tend to set up more on vertical structure versus horizontal. Meaning standing timber produces better than the brush piles. Once you figure out the thermocline depth, then you have cracked the code on what depth 95% of the crappie are going to be at, because that is the where the baitfish will be at. The morning hours the crappie will stack up on the sunny side of the timber. After about 9:00 am they stack up in the shade. Crappie don't have hats and or sunglasses, and even though they are considered to be in the sunfish family they don't like looking up at the sun, they use the timber for shade to sit back and ambush the schools of shad as they roam the lake. August, September, and the first two weeks of October are my favorite times to fill the freezer.

Very Nice Work..... That lake needs to be several miles closer to me.....LOL

I can catch them year round! I don’t want melt in this heat as sweet as I am!!!

I’ll be back after them in Sept and Oct and those dates are filling fast between trips and tournaments!

Umbrella is your friend...

Even with an umbrella, it’s too hot for me. Our next trip with Slew will be in October, that’s usually about the time he turns the air conditioning on in his boat.

Umbrellas are your friend,..!!

Well I guess I'm not up to it. I like to fish in the dark. Minnows, jigs and a small greenlight work well enough for me.